Needle-guard eor sewing-machines



F. P. GARDNER.

NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED. MAR. 22. 1 918.

1,324,736. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

INVENTUV: lvfi FRANK P) GARDNEIQ OF BQSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

.NEEDLE-GUARD FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

Application filed March 22, 1918. Serial No. 224,061.,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK P GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Needle-Guards for Sewing-Machines, of whichthe follow .ing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a needle guard attachment for sewing machines to protect the fingers of the operator against being injured by the needle during the operation. It is obvious that where the needle is unguarded there is a danger that the careless operator while feeding the work may allow his fingers to come into the path of movement of the needle and become severely injured. The object of the present invention is to provide a protecting device which shall be a sufficient guard to render it impossible for the operator to get his fingers into the path of the needle and at the same time to.

not interfere with the proper view of the work.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the working parts of a sewing machine showing a device embodyifng the invention attached. to the presser oot.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the operative parts shown in Fig. 1 showing the device embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the presser foot and the protector attachment embodying the invention attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the protector or guard embodying the invention detached.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a portion of the frame work or arm of a sewing machine, 2 the feed, 3 the needle bar provided with a needle 4, and 5 the presser bar to which is attached the presser foot 6 all of which as thusfar referred to may be of any well known form of construction. The guard 7 is preferably in the form of an open or-split ring forming a guard rail around the path of movement of the point of the needle 4 of sutficient diameter to allow ample space around the needle within the inclosure and having an opening 8 on one side of sufiicient width .to permit a. readyview of the, needle but yet being sufiiciently narrow so that there ,is no possible danger of the finger getting in through the opening into-the path of the needle. The guard should preferably extend for at least three-fourths of the way around the needle. This guard'is suitably attachedto the presser foot or to the presser bar so thatit will-beheld in proper position. It is open at top and bottom toa'llow free movement of the needle- The lower end of the guard is preferably elevated a little abovethat portion of the presser foot containing the slot through which the needle passesand it should preferably eX-' tend upward a suflicient distance so that in the upward stroke of the needle the point of the needle will clear the guard only just enough to permit-threading ofthe needle, but so slightly above thatit will be inc possible for the finger of the operator to come in'contact with the point. The exact height is immaterial so long as the point is properly protected, so that the operator can not get his finger under the point of the needle.

In the form of device shown the guard '7 has an attaching bracket'portion having an arm 18 which lies over the upper face of the bent portion 9 of the presser foot shank and which term nates in two vertical grooved clips 10, .10 which embrace the two opposite edges of the vertical web 11 of the presser foot shank. zThese clips 10. 10 may be crimped over the web 11 sufiicien'tlyq tight to hold the guard against displacement while the machine is in operation or may be fastened in any suitable manner. Preferably there'aretwo side fingers 12, 12 which extend downwardly from the arm 18 and straddle the arm 9 ofthe presser foot shank to aid in preventing lateral displace ment of the guard. Preferably'the guard' not regard the exact contour as being material to the invention.

Also while I have shown and described one means for connecting the guard to the presser foot any suitable connecting means may be employed. Also it may be attached either to the presser foot itself or to the presser :foot bar. The form and means of attachment will preferably be adapted to the particular form of presser foot, as there are various forms of presser foot. The essential feature of the invention is a guard or shield which surrounds or partially surrounds the needle near its lower end.

What I claim is:

1. A needle guard attachment for sewing machines comprising; a semi-ring guard member which guards the path of movement of the needle, a bracket portion having grooved wing members for engagement with a presser foot bar, a neck portion which connects the said guard member with the said grooved wing members, said neck portion being shaped to rest against a presser toot shank and fingers which project laterally from opposite sides of said neck and are bent to straddle the said presser foot shank.

2. A separable needle guard attachment for sewing machines, made of a single sheet of metal bent to form a semi-ring guard member which surrounds the path of move ment of the needle on at least three sides, the attaching portion being slotted vertically and adapted to engage by a sliding movement with a presser foot bar, a neck portion which connects the said slotted attaching portion with the guard member and is shaped to rest upon a presser foot shank, and fingers which project laterally from opposite sides of the said neck member and are bent to straddle a presser foot shank and engage the sides thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK P. GARDNER. 

